Shift Magazine - August 2021 - 4

A
s I sat down to write the introduction
to this Shift issue on 5G, something
interesting happened. I decided
to run a speed test on my mobile
STAFF
phone.
" Your Internet connection is fast, " the
website said. It had measured my download
speed at 28.4 megabits per second, upload
speed at 2.51 mbps.
Not blazingly fast but good enough for my
needs, I thought. After all, it's a great phone,
and I don't download HD movies; maybe an audiobook here and there.
But that little exercise underscored how much 4G performance pales
in comparison with what's been promised with the arrival of true fifthgeneration
wireless. We're talking three-, maybe four-digit download speeds.
Unlike yours truly, automakers and mobility companies haven't ignored
the possibilities that a high-capacity, high-speed, low-latency network
offers. For them, the advent of 5G is nothing short of revolutionary. In
a recent Shift panel discussion on 5G, Audi of America executive Pom
Malhotra called it a " seismic event " for the industry. (Read what he and
other industry leaders had to say in " Changing the Game " on Page 12.)
Telecoms are gearing up. Verizon Wireless spent a jaw-dropping $53 billion,
including related costs, to acquire licenses in a coveted part of the 5G spectrum
called the C-band, more than doubling its midband spectrum holdings. (See
Jack Keebler's story, " Spectrum Spending Spree, " on Page 20.)
For motorists, 5G could lead to sizable improvements in safety and
connectivity, and a more fulfilling in-vehicle experience. You'll find examples
throughout the issue.
Check out " Into the Lead " on Page 16. Deputy Mobility Editor Pete
Bigelow explores China's use of 5G to transmit critical information from
the infrastructure to autonomous vehicles. And speaking of intelligent
roadways, in " Still Fighting " on Page 24, we learn that the battle over
slashing the amount of " talking car " spectrum available in the U.S. may not
be finished just yet.
A fast connection also can make the ride more fun, as correspondent
Marcus Amick shows us in his profile of Germany's Holoride ( " Thrills on
Wheels, " Page 7), and it will bring more bells and whistles to maps and
displays ( " In-Vehicle Innovations, " Page 10). It might even bring a driverless
vehicle right to the curb ( " Making Remote a Possibility, " Page 25).
Our goal with this issue is not to explain the intricacies of how 5G
wireless works - a head-spinning endeavor if there ever was one - but
to shine a light on how a full rollout of 5G could change the lives of drivers
and passengers, improve our roadways and even change the relationship
between automakers and their customers.
Meantime, I don't know about you, but I'm going to need a better phone.
Editor
Leslie J. Allen
Chief of Editorial
Operations
Dave Versical
Chief Content Officer
Jamie Butters
Managing Editor
Mary Beth Vander Schaaf
Deputy Mobility Editor
Pete Bigelow
Reporters
Hannah Lutz
C.J. Moore
Copy Editors
Amy Butters
Tim Good
Elizabeth Hardy
Cindy Orosco-Wright
Contributors
Marcus Amick
Sebastian Blanco
Shannon Flynn
Alex Haslam
Jack Keebler
Design Director
Steve Massie
Leslie J. Allen, Editor
lallen@crain.com
4
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Shift Magazine - August 2021

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